Responsible for sideline announcements, Alexandre Roumat made his first appearance on the international scene on Saturday evening. And he is preparing to experience another special moment during the coming weekend, this time challenging New Zealand.
You had your first selections in the 2024 Tournament. But is tenure something different?
Yes, definitely. You have a little more time to prepare when you're a substitute, even though you can come in at any time. There, starting, at home, at the Stade de France… It was quite an important moment for me but I tried to be relaxed in the approach to the match, concentrating on what I had to do, without Putting too much pressure on myself. Once the whistle blows, you just have to get loose and play Rugby.
Indeed, it was also a first at the Stade de France with the blue jersey for you…
Young, I came to this stadium to see my dad's final (Olivier, Editor’s note) in the French championship. I have also come many times as a spectator. There has always been a very special and electric atmosphere. Do you know what my last match was at the Stade de France?
No, tell us…
I was in the stands for the World Cup quarter-final against South Africa and there was an incredible atmosphere that day. Otherwise, the only time I played on this pitch was during the Top 14 final won against La Rochelle a year and a half ago. There, playing there with the French team jersey, in front of my parents, it was a crazy feeling…
Can we consider that this stadium brings you luck then?
(He laughs) For the moment, yes. But above all I hope that it continues in the next two weeks.
You also scored your first international try…
I'm happy to have concluded a collective movement, even if it's not the most difficult try I've had to score. For a while, I even thought that the Japanese had gone under and made me release the ball. I'm not one of those who scores very often, so it's always nice.
Between Thibaud Flament's injury and François Cros' exit, you changed positions three times, between third and second row. How did you experience it?
Without asking too many questions. I knew I might have to move position. It happened quite quickly and in a slightly messy way, since they overtook us on certain keys and we were not very well placed. I had the opportunity to start this match, it's a chance, and I wanted not to disappoint my teammates and the people who believed in me in the staff. I tried to give everything, regardless of the position, the position, the moment of the match…
Does everything you have experienced with Toulouse over the last two seasons help you manage this emotional aspect?
Without a doubt. In general, and I have often said it, my background helps me a lot to understand this type of high-level match. I think of certain failures that I may have experienced, or some years that were a little less successful. But, in the recent past, my two seasons in Toulouse gave me a lot of confidence in my ability to compete in very high-level events and win titles.
In what sense?
Let's say I have this experience and knowledge of this level. This allows me to have more confidence in myself, to approach matches more calmly. I am thinking in particular of the last six months of the season spent at club, with this famous double. This gave me even more confidence.
And, at the start of your fall tour, you have a lot of responsibilities, since you're also the one announcing from the sidelines…
Yes, but the fact of having a big frame from Toulouse, in addition to having a lot of people from Bordeaux with whom I played before, naturally helped my integration. I manage to feel good quickly. As for the touch, it's something I'm used to doing in the club. I like having responsibilities in this sector. During my first matches in the Tournament, someone else was announcing and I tried to get into it quickly so as not to be on the street and help the guys as much as possible. If I have the chance to continue to have this role, I will do it with great pleasure.
Is it very different from doing it at club or national level?
There is less automatism or, in any case, less time to perfect all the details when you are in selection. But, in the team, there are so many quality guys who get on quickly. Memories of tournaments or tours come back quickly. I don't find it much harder but the announcements are necessarily different, depending on the clubs, the selection or the coaches. It's just a little intellectual gymnastics to practice.
How do you judge this first match of the tour on a collective level?
The result is very positive, even if everything was not perfect. When we look at the last matches against Japan, there has rarely been such a gap. Of course, we didn't carry the ball for long periods but we were able to score very quickly and use all the counterattack balls. Afterwards, overall, we defended rather well, taking very few points despite the large volume of Japanese play. But we were penalized too much. We came out of the first half with seven or eight fouls. This is particularly true for me since I take two or three. Faced with the teams we will face in the coming weeks, this indiscipline could cost more.
You are therefore aware that the month of November will take on another dimension in the days to come…
Of course. What happens this week, given New Zealand's last two games but also the monster that this team is, it will obviously be a whole new level. And therefore a whole other challenge.
What did you think of New Zealand's victory in Ireland on Friday?
It was a pretty incredible match in terms of intensity and quality of play. We know what to expect.
But are you ready?
The main point to improve is discipline. We made a lot of mistakes, especially in the midfield. At this level, when a team like the All Blacks arrives in your twenty-two meters, we know that it is difficult to defend. Up front, there was also a maul that we didn't defend well, on which we took a try. It will therefore be necessary to further increase the intensity and rigor.
Since you were a kid, what have the All Blacks represented to you?
We've all done a haka in our living room or in our garden when we were young. We have all been, at one time or another, a supporter of a great generation of New Zealand players. These guys made a lot of kids dream. I have always admired him. But being admiring will unfortunately not allow us to win on Saturday (laughs). We have a lot of respect and we know that it will be one of the toughest matches of our year. But we also have things to highlight, quality boys.
Is facing this team a dream come true?
Clearly. I hope to be part of the group. But if someone had told me, some time ago, that I might have the opportunity to play against the All Blacks at home… From the outside, on television, I already felt this electricity during the matches against the All Blacks. It will definitely be a moment that will be remembered forever.
In a previous interview, when you were asked the two or three players who had inspired you the most in your position, you notably cited the New Zealander Kieran Read…
Yes. Across all styles and player profiles, New Zealand has always had exceptional flankers. But the one made up of Kieran Read, Richie McCaw and Jerome Kaino… I have the chance to meet Jerome Kaino on a daily basis who is just a rugby monster. This trio was the perfect and ideal combination. They were at their peak, with two world titles and years where they hardly lost a match.
What did you like most about Read?
I really enjoyed watching him because his way of playing suited me. In my eyes, he was the perfect link between forwards and three-quarters. And he always managed to get others to play. That's what I like, too, on the pitch. So I watched a lot of videos of him, to try to pick out a few little tips.
And in the current All Blacks team?
Guys like Wallace Sititi or Ardie Savea have different profiles to Kieran Read but are just as exceptional when they have the ball.
You mention Sititi, who is a bit of a New Zealand sensation in recent months and weeks. Did you follow him before?
No, not more than everyone else. We saw it this summer, at the Rugby Championship, or even in the last matches. We've discovered him for a few months but he seems to have all the “super powers”, like Ardie Savea. He's 22 years old, he's full of talent and he's about to explode. This will also be a great challenge.
A word about another phenomenon, your teammate Peato Mauvaka, who finished the match on the third row on Saturday?
It no longer surprises us. At Stade Toulouse, we have the chance to live with him every day. He also has the ability to play 6, 7 or 8. It even happened to us, last year, to make him jump into touch. This is to tell you… He’s a guy who can play almost all positions up front, and even behind I think. He loves the game, he loves moving around. From the moment the ball is gone, there isn't too much of a number on the back and, if any guy embodies that, it's him.
You had known the French team without Antoine Dupont during the 6 Nations Tournament, you found it with him for this tour. Even if you know him well, how does he have this ability to reassure the group?
He is a player who, through his presence on the pitch, gives a lot of confidence to the guys around him. He has this ability to resolve situations. He sets an example, he makes differences, he defends, he makes up for things… As for leadership, when he speaks, he is fair. He's the boss of the team. For us from Toulouse, who come into contact with him on a daily basis, it is in line with what we experience at the club. Since he came back from his vacation, everything has happened very naturally. He is very important to us, at club or national team. We saw it again against Japan. With any crumb we give him, he can do incredible things.
